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Treatment methods for laminitis
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What is Laminitis?
Commonly know as founder, laminitis is caused by a metabolic disease. Inside the hoof there is a structure called laminae that is made up of epithelium tissue. The laminae is what supports the distal phalanx or coffin bone and hoof wall. Laminitis is when the laminae start’s to degenerate. When the laminae starts to degenerate there is no support for the coffin bone inside of the hoof wall. Depending on the severity the coffin bone can actually go through the sole of the hoof. Laminitis can affect all four feet but it is the most common in the forelimbs.
Types of Laminitis
There are four types of laminitis that vary in their severity. The type can be caused by their lifestyle, like developmental laminitis. However, all horses are subject to laminitis. The types include developmental laminitis, acute laminitis, subacute laminitis, and chronic laminitis.
Signs associated with Laminitis
The signs of laminitis are lameness. Pain in the feet located on the proximal end towards the digits. The pulse that is found on the digit is very strong. The way the horse is standing is an abnormal stance. This usually consists of the front legs stretched out with the back legs tucked underneath like picture at the right. Laminitis can also affect the gait of the horse. The horse may have a shortened gait and you may have trouble getting the horse to turn. Due to the pain the horse may be tachycardia and have an increased respiratory rate. The horse may present with an elevated temperature being pyrexia. The affected limbs will be warm to the touch and if touched around the coronary band it may be hot. Also pain will be demonstrated by laying down for long periods of time, which is very unusual for a horse. Pain will also be d...
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... depending on the severity of the laminitis depends on how the shoeing should be done. One type of shoeing may work for one horse but the next horse it may not work for so communication is very important when trying to get a method of shoeing that will work for your horse’s case of laminitis. An example of a way to shoe a horse with a moderate degree of rotation would be to trim the toe back and trim the heel. Also a frog support may be used. Use deep bedding in the stall for extra support and cushion for the sole of the hoof. Horses that get laminitis and recover are going to have a higher risk of developing it again. It is very important to eliminate the cause in order to prevent laminitis from happening again. In severe cases it may be taken in consideration euthanasia due to the infection, necrosis, and the sinking of the coffin bone in to the sole of the hoof.
Should you shoe your horses or leave them barefoot? What is better for the horse? What will benefit the horse more? Although it’s a hot topic, it has never really been an issue to me. I have always shod my horses in the summer when I know we will be using them a lot and always leave the shoes off in the winter. I ride with a lot of people that will never use shoes or will sometimes only use a pair on either the front or back. Each person has their own beliefs and reasons behind why they choose to do what they do. For example, when I bought my current horse (around ’08) the person I bought him from only ever shod the front two hooves. I started putting shoes on all four of his hooves and they have been that way just about every summer since I purchased him. Then again, I’m only one person. Everyone has a different viewpoint on what is best for the horses and how to go about doing the best thing for their individual needs. That’s really where this question comes from for me. I want to know why; I want to know why people are so opinionated in one way or the other, as well as find out what is actually in the best interest of the horse.
Osgood-Schlatter Disease or syndrome (OSD) is an irritation of the patellar ligament at the tibial tuberosity (Dhar). Osgood-Schlatter Disease is claimed by some to not actually be a disease (Sims). But is rather a collection of symptoms that involves the tibial tubercle epiphysis (Sims). Osgood-Schlatter Disease affects as many as 1 in 5 adolescent athletes (Diseases and Conditions: Osgood-Schlatter Disease). Some other common names for this disease are Osteochondrosis, Tibial Aponphysitis, Tibial Tubercle Apophyseal Traction Injury, Morbus Osgood- Schlatter, and Rugby Knee (Dhar). “This can cause multiple sub-acute avulsion fractures along with inflammation of the tendon, leading to excess bone growth in the tuberosity and producing a visible lump which can be very painful when hit (Dhar). Activities such as kneeling may irritate the tendon further (Dhar).”
Flaccid dysarthria results from damage to the lower motor neurons (LMN) or the peripheral nervous system (Hageman, 1997). The characteristics of flaccid dysarthria generally reflect damage to cranial nerves with motor speech functions (e.g., cranial nerves IX, X, XI and XII) (Seikel, King & Drumright, 2010). Lower motor neurons connect the central nervous system to the muscle fibers; from the brainstem to the cranial nerves with motor function, or from the anterior horns of grey matter to the spinal nerves (Murdoch, 1998). If there are lesions to spinal nerves and the cranial nerves with motor speech functions, it is indicative of a lower motor neuron lesion and flaccid dysarthria. Damage to lower motor neurons that supply the speech muscles is also known as bulbar palsy (Pena-Brooks & Hedge, 2007). Potential etiologies of flaccid dysarthria include spinal cord injury, cerebrovascular accidents, tumors or traumatic brain injury (Pena-Brooks & Hedge, 2007). Possible congenital etiologies of flaccid dysarthria include Moebius syndrome and cerebral palsy. Flaccid dysarthria can also arise from infections such as polio, herpes zoster, and secondary infections to AIDS (Pena-Brooks & Hedge, 2007). Additionally, demyelinating diseases such as Guilian-Barre syndrome and myotonic muscular dystrophy can also lead to flaccid dysarthria (Pena-Brookes & Hedge, 2007). The lower motor neuron lesion results in loss of voluntary muscle control, and an inability to maintain muscle tone. Fasciculations, or twitching movements, may occur if the cell body is involved in the lesion (Seikel et. al., 2010). The primary speech characteristics of flaccid dysarthria include imprecise consonant production, hypernasal resonance, breathiness, and harsh voice (...
Plantar fasciitis is caused by muscles and ligaments that alter the calcaneous (the big bone on the foot) (Daniels and Morrell 2012). Alteration of these muscles and ligaments will inflict pain and discomfort on the patient, and if not treated will cause failure of ligaments, bones, and muscles. The patient was tested with a simple squat technique that showed his heels were coming off the ground (Daniels and Morrell 2012).... ... middle of paper ...
Chronic laminitis sufferers also should have foot/frog support to prevent a possible founder while the disease is in the infant stages of management. This isn’t to say that the condition is entirely reversible, there has been no proof that EMS will entirely go away. Prevention in this case is key, and by not overfeeding or over-supplementing, your horse is at a lower risk for EMS.
Paget’s disease (PD), also known as osteitis deformans, is considered to be an osteometabolic disorder. It can be described as a focal disorder of accelerated and disorganized skeletal remodeling that may affect multiple bones in the body, giving rise to progressive enlargement and deformity of the bones and joints.1 PD is prevalent across both the sexes with incidence ranging from 1.5% to 8%.2 It is more common in individuals over 50 years of age.
Fig1. This is a picture of a leg with full blown necrotizing fasciitis, just prior to surgery. Note the discoloration. The skin feels crepitant and the area is extremely tender. A larger picture with detail is available by clicking this thumbnail print.
Deficient diets result in weight loss in the horse. Alternate causes of weight loss are internal parasites and diseases. Excess energy intake causes obesity which stresses joints and reduces athletic ability. A horse in moderate physical condition is described as “Back level”. Ribs cannot be visually distinguished, but can be easily felt.
Bone infection can be as serious condition where bacterial invades the bone. This can be through the bloodstream or by the bacteria entering through the outer surface of the leg. Left untreated, or if the bacteria does not respond to other treatment, damage to the local blood supply may occur. Certain disease processes can contribute to the likelihood and seriousness of bone infection. If the infection is treated unsuccessfully by other means, surgery may be recommended. The infected area of bone is where the cut is made and the infected area removed.
That will make it much easier for you to apply medication directly to the infection. Another reason to have your toenail removed is when it is damaged by the infection. Fungus causes your nail to become discolored and thick. That makes it hard to trim, and you could develop problems with an ingrown nail. The nail may even make you uncomfortable when you wear shoes. You may have less pain and discomfort with the nail removed, and once the infection has cleared, it will grow back. However, if you have a chronic infection that keeps coming back, your podiatrist may permanently remove the nail to help keep the fungus at
... have a crop (small whip) or peg spurs. Both of these do not hurt the horse, but are uncomfortable, so they know they are doing something wrong.
Dean says, “Many of the injuries that will occur are not fatal, but through most of them you will be sent to the hospital.” Injuries can occur from doing just about anything; a farrier could have a horse step on him or her, they could get their fingers smashed, they can slice their legs of hands open, and a horse could fall on him or her. Here a just a few injuries that Dean has acquired or seen before. Injuries are not fun at all, Dean states that “Injures while shoeing horse cannot be avoided, that they are like challenges that you must overcome and work through.” There are not very many people that think about all these different injuries, these are what cause horse shoeing as a difficult job.
Your feet are always rolling too much inwards when walking. This is also referred as excessive pronation.
The human foot is an incredibly complex part of the body, it is made up of twenty-six bones which is fully twenty-five percent of the bones in the entire body. The structure of the forefoot includes the five metatarsal bones and the phalanges. The metatarsal bones are for forward movement and provides attachment for several tendons. The phalanges, also known as the toes, movement take place in the joints. The foot movement only has two movements; inversion and eversion. All the joints in the hindfoot and midfoot contributes to these complex movements. The foot has two significant functions: weight bearing and impulsion, which both requires a high degree of stability. The foot must also be flexible so it is able to adapt to uneven surfaces. The various bones and joints of the foot are what allows the foot to be flexible. In order for the foot to be able to support any weight the various of bones must form an arch. The foot has three arches that are maintain by the shape of the bones and by the ligaments. The arches are supported by the muscles and tendons. A foot is a strong, flexible, and durable it allows us to daily activities as we please while carrying all the